Pokemon Ranger ABC's
by skyfire146
Summary: I've always wanted to do one of these.  Main pairings are Spenser/Solana, Kate/Keith, and Jack Walker/OC.  I- "At first look, he wasn't much." Spenser and Solana when they first met and then reflecting on this moment.  Spenser/Solana
1. Awestruck

The first one-shot is Spenser/Solana, which is probably not a big surprise if you know me. I still refuse to call it LazyPervertShipping. I can't figure out if I actually like that name or not. And for those of you who may be reading my longer story No One Said It Would Be Easy, don't worry, I haven't given up on it. I just have a bit of writer's block and need something to occasionally distract myself with. ;)

So here's a little bit of info on the first oneshot.

**Shipping: **LazyPervertShipping, some Lunick/Aria

**Summary: **Everyone is decked out in their finery for Chairperson Erma's birthday party and ranger romance is in the air.

Yes, I know. Cheesy summary. I couldn't think of anything else.

* * *

**Awestruck**

"Lunick, stop staring."

"I'm not staring."

"Psh. And I know how to cook."

"You're pretty clever, Solana."

"I know."

"Good."

Solana's smile curved even farther as Lunick's eyes once again crept toward the far side of the room. "Lunick, if you want to go talk to her, just go talk to her."

"Easy for you to say," Lunick shot back, taking a sip of the punch and making a face. "I feel like I'm at the Ranger School Ball again. It was like my mom's prom pictures, but worse."

Solana took the punch from Lunick's hand neatly, quickly disposing of it by drinking it all before continuing. "Maybe if you lightened up and had fun, you wouldn't have this issue. These people are all rangers," she glanced around the room as if to prove it. "It's the Chairperson's birthday party for Suicune's sake. What are you scared of?"

"Right now I'd rather face Suicune again," Lunick answered, his face a nervous wreck yet again. "And was it really necessary for you to drink my punch?"

"Yes," the blue-haired Ringtown ranger answered, gracing him with a smile again. "Because now you have no excuse. Go talk to her."

Lunick shot another glance over at where the sleek, put-together Fall City ranger was standing, talking with Leilani, a ranger from Summerland. "I can't, Solana. She kind of-" Solana heard a click as Lunick pantomimed a biting motion.

"Please. Her bark is worse than her bite, Lunick. Besides, all it takes is for her to respect you. Once you earn her respect, the rest is easy. Take it from me." Solana explained, slowly walking over to where Aria was standing. Lunick followed close behind, as she suspected.

"Wait, is there something I should know about?" Lunick asked mischeviously, his dark blue eyes laughing. "You guys didn't go out of anything, right?"

"Oh, shut up, you pervert," Solana retorted dryly, rolling her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"Care to offer a conversation starter?" Lunick suggested as the two Ringtown rangers neared.

"You're free to diss me in any way you'd like. Aria would love that," Solana grinned, watching as he went the rest of the way on his own. She turned to see someone else looking at her in the very same way Lunick had been looking at Aria. Like he was awestruck and couldn't think of anything to say if he tried. Like no one else in this room held his attention like she could.

She saw this look on the face of Spenser Hayate from across the room.

She felt a grin come to her face as she made her way over to the Ringtown base leader. "Hey, Spense. Having a good time?"

Spenser had returned to normal by now, having been given a few moments to pull himself together while Solana was walking over. Still, Solana had seen that look. And it sent a shiver down her spine. Spenser and she were close after all those base conversation they had, sometimes late into the night. They shared laughs over their favorite pastime (teasing Lunick and sometimes Murph) and they suffered through the cooking lessons Spenser had attempted to give Solana. There was something that drew her to Spenser, regardless of the outside situation. She had always felt like she just wanted to be around him.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you a bit, but seeing as you've practically been attached at the hip to Lunick, I didn't want to interrupt any moments you guys were having," Spenser explained dryly, raising an eyebrow at the female ranger.

"Well, Lunick was working up the courage to go talk to Aria," Solana grinned. "I was being a good friend and he appreciated it."

"Ah, so it's Aria. Joel always tells me that her bark is worse than her bite."

"That's what I told him," Solana answered, shooting another quick glance at Lunick and Aria. Leilani had floated away to talk to Murph, so it looked like Lunick and Aria were hitting it off well. Either that, or Aria was showing such disdain for Lunick that Leilani couldn't even be around them. Solana was hoping the former.

"I think we've found another thing to tease Lunick about," Spenser grinned broadly, waiting for the response from Solana that he already knew was coming.

"Spense!" Solana swiped at him, barely missing as he ducked out of the way. "He's at a delicate stage at this point. Don't make fun of him. Let him be." She looked away, rolling her eyes and blowing a strand of blue hair away from her face. There was a moment of silence. Spenser waited for it. "Okay, so maybe," Solana finally said, suppressing a smile. "But not until he's actually talked to her a few times. We don't want to blow his confidence."

"Of course not."

"Don't mock me."

"I would never."

Their eyes met for a second, both of them caught up in the banter. There was something so light and refreshing in their exchanges that just made Solana happy. She was happy when she was around Spenser and she hoped that he felt that way too. It was a delicate thing, this liking someone.

"You look good tonight, Solana," Spenser finally said, smiling at her.

"Ya think so?" She grinned in reply. She had tried, she really had. She even wore her hair down, although it had been tough keeping it down. It just got in her way. "You don't look too bad yourself, Spense."

He glanced down at his tux appreciatively, raising his eyebrows. "I am spiffy, ain't I?"

"Aren't I, Spenser," Solana straightened his jacket, as it was a bit off-kilter. She was a grammar Nazi to the end. "And let's not go that far." She smirked at him. "Besides," she continued, careful not to meet his eyes and focusing on getting his jacket right. "I saw the look you gave me. You think I look more than just good."

There was silence. "Well…" Spenser opened his mouth a few times, then closed it. "You know. I just, well. Uh." He shrugged sheepishly. "Okay, you got me."

"It was cute," Solana reassured him, her mouth curving upward into a smile. She rested her hand on his chest for a second, biting her lip, halfway between what she wanted and what should happen. Finally, she decided that she didn't want to push it. "Let's just talk some more."

Spenser looked a bit disappointed if anything, but he quickly bounced back, doing what he did best. Making her smile. "Alright, Solana. Let's make a bet. How many minutes do you think Lunick will last?"

Solana grinned, back in her element. "No more than five."

"I'll say… seven," Spenser estimated, looking thoughtful. "Let's give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Okay," she answered, flicking a glance over at Lunick and Aria. "You wanna time?"

People came and went, but for the rest of the night Solana didn't leave that corner. Neither did Spenser.

* * *

**Yeah, the end is kind of weak. I couldn't find the right way to wrap it up. Thoughts?**


	2. Bull

Okay, so here's the one-shot for B, titled Bull. For those of you who have played this card game (it's also called B.S. or Baloney Sandwich, but I think we can all figure out what it really stands for ;) ), this is a one-shot of Keith, Kate, and Rhythmi playing said game. Basically, the deck is split up between the players and you want to get rid of all your cards. It goes around the table, each player putting down whatever cards they have of the next number. If you don't have any of that number, you bluff. If you think someone's bluffing, you call them on it by saying "bull." So... yeah. I hope everyone kind of understood that. :p Here comes the one-shot.

**Characters: **Kate, Keith, Rhythmi

**Shippings: **Vatonnage (Kate/Keith)

**Summary: **While playing a good old-fashioned game of B.S., Rhythmi reveals that there's more than meets the eye.

* * *

**Bull**

"Two aces."

A moment of silence as the three card players glanced around the table at one another.

"One two."

Another stare-down moment.

"One three."

"Bull," Kate yelled triumphantly, grinning as Keith reluctantly picked up the whole pile of cards, a wry smile on his face.

"How can you always tell?" He asked, assembling his cards. "It's not fair!"

"Cause you can't lie to me, Ginger," Kate grinned at him, sticking out her tongue.

"Whatever. Rhyth, it's your turn," Keith nodded to the third member of their card game.

Rhythmi pushed back a strand of her curly blonde hair, smiling wickedly. "You two are so fun to watch when you get competitive."

"Yeah, yeah," Keith answered, making a face.

"You only say that cause you're losing," Kate retorted smugly.

Keith shot her a glare, but motioned at Rhythmi to keep playing. "Don't worry. My luck will change soon enough."

Kate laughed. "Yeah, keep saying that. Besides, this game isn't about luck. It's about skill."

Rhythmi cleared her throat, putting down her next card and momentarily stopping the arguing. "Three fours."

The claim went unchallenged. Kate was next. "Two fives."

Keith looked at her suspiciously, weighing his options. "I don't know. You could be lying. Or you could not be. That's the problem."

Kate laughed, unable to hide a smirk. "You really are a very good problem solver. You figured out the two possible outcomes and that's half the battle."

"Actually, I'm very clever. And tricky. And deceiving."

"Well, let's go. Enough stalling. Are you calling bull or not?"

"Maybe."

Kate made a face. "This reminds me of that mission at Peril Cliffs. You are so indecisive sometimes."

"Well, you could've been in trouble," Keith explained, keeping his eyes on the stack of cards in the middle. "I didn't know whether to keep going with the mission or go back for you. It was a tricky situation. Besides, it's only with you that I'm indecisive."

"Well, it's not like I needed your help," Kate rolled her eyes in reply. "Honestly, you could've not thought of me at all and I wouldn't have cared. The role I play in your decision-making doesn't bother me-"

"Bull," Rhythmi came out and said, her eyes bright and innocent. Kate jerked her head up, her face shocked. A level of understanding passed between them. There were two games of Bull being played here.

"Well, Kate, the girl called you out," Keith said impatiently, having missed this whole exchange. "Were you lying or not?"

Kate slowly blinked, focusing on the game once more while Rhythmi grinned. "Yeah," she finally answered, taking the pile. "I was."

Thank Arceus Keith was so dense.


	3. Cake

Yes, this is another Spenser/Solana. Sorry. Guilty as charged. xD However, I promise that the next one will be totally different. Okay. Enjoy!

**Characters: **Spenser, Solana

**Shippings: **LazyPervert

**Summary: **When you mixed Solana's perfectionism with her less-than-adequate cooking skills, nothing good could come out of it.

* * *

**Cake**

Spenser was starting to get nervous.

There were strange noises coming from the kitchen area of the ranger base. Every time he tried to poke his head in, Solana had screeched at him to get out. He would've just left it, but the memory of the last time Solana had been alone in the kitchen was still fresh in his mind. She somehow managed to melt the spatula. Spenser had been scraping spatula guts off the counter for the next two weeks.

He was currently pacing outside the kitchen, unsure as to what his plan of action should be. Lunick was out, having taken Aria out to a picnic on the beach of Summerland. First date. It was Lunick's birthday, which was also why Spenser suspected that Solana was freaking out. Solana was very much a perfectionist at pretty much everything. And when you mixed Solana's perfectionism with her less-than-adequate cooking skills, nothing good could come out of it.

There was a long string of curses from the kitchen, the bang of something heavy being thrown, and then silence. Spenser made for the door, having had enough of the pacing outside. Besides, what if Solana really had managed to hurt herself? There were too many dangerous things in the kitchen for Spenser's liking.

"Solana!" Spenser yelled as he barged into the kitchen. There was a certain amount of alarm in his voice that he didn't attempt to hide. He found Solana sitting dejectedly on the floor with her back to the counter, covered in what looked white goop. The kitchen was similarly covered with the white substance and there were kitchen utensils and ingredients everywhere. Spenser couldn't even tell what Solana had been making, but the whole kitchen was torn apart.

"Hey, Spense," she smiled half-heartedly, not meeting his eyes.

"Is the new spatula safe, at least?" He retorted with a grin, trying to get some kind of reaction from her.

Solana made a face at him, sighing. "Yeah, butthead. I left it in the draw over there. I didn't need it for what I was… well… attempting to make."

Spenser sat down next to her, stretching out his legs. "So… can I assume that what you are covered in is frosting?"

"Yes," Solana tried to clean some of it from her bangs, but it wasn't working very well. "I tried to use the electronic mixer and it sent frosting everywhere. I was making it for Lunick's birthday cake. Which is non-existent."

"And… what did you throw?" Spenser asked, wincing.

"It was more of a light toss… you know… as opposed to a throw," Solana explained, meeting Spenser's eyes tentatively.

"Solana."

"Yeah."

"What… did… you throw?"

Solana scrunched up her face. "Er… the toaster."

"What were you using the toaster for?" Spenser asked incredulously, looking around to see said item lying on the floor a few feet away, bent and battered.

"Nothing," Solana answered, fidgeting. "It was just handily in my arm range."

Spenser sighed, looking around the kitchen from his spot on the ground. "What am I going to do with you, Solana?"

She rested her head on his shoulder, a hopeful tinge to her next few words. "Help me?"

Spenser paused, letting the words sink in. "Wait, what? Could you repeat that?"

Solana rolled her eyes. "Will you help me?"

"Just wanted to make sure I heard that right," he answered, grinning. "Let's face it, you'd break your mother's leg before you ask for help. Usually."

"Sometimes."

"Usually."

"Just help me, Spense."

"Okay."

Spenser got up first, reaching out a hand for Solana. She took it, her face inches from his when they were both standing. There was a moment where Spenser found he could barely catch his breath, so close to her frosting-splattered face. She had an effect on him like no one else. He had teased her, but he hadn't thought twice about helping her. There are just things you do for the person you're falling for. No matter how ridiculously horrible they are in the kitchen.

"So, what do I do first?"

He put a hand over her hair, pushing aside her bangs so that he could wipe a streak of frosting off her forehead. "First, you'd better get cleaned up. Then, we'll bake Lunick his cake."

She grinned at him and he realized how much he loved her smile. "Be right back."


	4. Dam

So, this one is rather short, but I tried to have it come off as clever. It's rather cheesy. :p Also, it's dedicated to moonbound cause she pretty much got me into this couple. Yay! Thanks for all the reviews too. They are very much appreciated. :)

**Shippings: **Crawford/Luana (if anyone knows the name, let me know)

**Summary: **Not that kind of dam…

* * *

**Dam**

"Luana, wait up!"

The Vientown ranger turned around to see her best friend on the base, a certain afro-haired, brown-eyed, jokester of a ranger. She grinned broadly, always smiling whenever Crawford was around. As much as she tried to hide it sometimes, he did have a knack for making her smile with his horribly bad jokes.

"Hey, Crawford. What do you think Barlow wants us for?"

The taller ranger shrugged. "Not sure. Everyone's supposed to come though. Bet it'll be fun."

Luana hid a smile at his enthusiasm. "I bet it will be."

"I mean, if I have anything to say about it," Crawford continued, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Of course."

Luana looked up to see Ollie and Elaine already at the center of the town, chatting with Barlow. She grimaced. They were late. They probably would've missed any background information. She tugged at Crawford's shirtsleeve, motioning up ahead. "We're late."

"Well, we wouldn't want to make the boss mad," Crawford replied wryly, speeding up his steps. Luana had to take about three for every one of his. Darn him for being so tall.

Barlow gave them both a look as they joined the group. Luana pointed to Crawford, singling his out as the reason for their late arrival. He had managed to make a mess in his latest scheme to terrorize the Vientown base. Luana had taken pity on him enough to help him clean up. Although, she didn't quite know why she kept helping him.

"There's an issue with the river between Vientown and the Ranger School," Barlow announced, all of his Vientown rangers now grouped in front of him. "You all know what we're probably going to have to do. We're going to have to-"

"Dam it!" Crawford interrupted, throwing his arms up in the air.

Luana's head turned and she crossed her arms unhappily. "Crawford. Watch your language."

Crawford grinned at her, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry, Luana. It just kinda slipped out."

Barlow smiled as he continued. "Well, now that Crawford has cleared things up for us, I'm gonna need everyone's help with this. Elaine will help with the designing, but we'll use captured Bibarel to help us with the actual-"

"Dam…" Crawford let out a whistle this time, shaking his head. This let loose another glare from Luana, who was getting pretty annoyed now. Why did Crawford keep doing this? He was juvenile, true, but he didn't just throw around cuss words. They were standing in the middle of Vientown. Children could hear him.

Barlow continued, not appearing to care much. Luana wished that he would tell Crawford to stop. He kept interrupting their leader. Actually, he'd interrupted so much that Luana had lost track of what he was saying. What were they even talking about?

"It'll be a lot of work, but it's necessary. It'll probably take the rest of the day, but it's not like we have much else to do anyway," Barlow shot a quick glance around, making sure everyone was good with this. Of course, Luana reflected, Crawford always had something extra to say.

"This dam work is going to take forever!"

"Crawford, I swear, what the heck? Stop doing that!" Luana exploded, poking Crawford in the chest. "There could be kids around. I'm just saying, you really ought to stop."

That was it for the rest of the group, who promptly exploded into laughter. Crawford was doubled over, almost unable to breathe, while Barlow, Elaine, and Ollie couldn't hold in their previously stifled laughter. "Not… that… kind of dam… Luana," Crawford finally got out between laughs.

Luana was ready to kill him, but once she heard his explanation, she couldn't help but laugh too.

* * *

**Hehe, silly Crawford. Tricks are for kids.**


	5. Enemies

So, it's been a while, but I've got the next one-shot ready. :) It's a second generation kind of fic, as inspired by Fairy. Joel's kids are hers. They're pretty legit: Luke, Justin, and Julia. Solana and Spenser's are Cass, Mark, and Elizabeth. They get along… interestingly. Just read. :P

**Shippings: **Spenser/Solana, Joel/Lucy

**Summary: **Mark and Justin carry on the traditions of their fathers.

* * *

**Enemies**

"Dad, Mark got in a fight again!"

Spenser sighed as he ran a hand through his blue-green hair, looking up from his desk to see his oldest child, Cassandra Joel Hayate, running toward him, her face alarmed. His second oldest, Mark Walker Hayate, was close behind, a look of utter indignity on his face.

"I did not, Dad!"

"Yes, he did. Look, he has a black eye. Explain that one, Mark Walker."

"Quit calling me that. You're not my mother."

"Stop it!" Spenser held up a hand, glancing first as one, then the other. "Cass, don't say anything quite yet. Mark, I want you to explain what happened. There has to be some reason for that black eye." Cass was fourteen, Mark was eleven, and the two clashed unbearably sometimes. At least his youngest, Elizabeth, wasn't a problem. She was the calmest of all of them.

"I fell."

"You fell?" Spenser arched an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Somehow the explanation sounded familiar to his ears. How often had he and Joel used that excuse?

"Yup."

Spenser shook his head, amazed at his own son's stubbornness. Where had he gotten that? Then he remembered. Yeah, that would be him. How many times had Solana ask him to take it easy during a mission? And how many times had he actually done that?

"I saw, Dad. It was with Justin again, I swear-"

"Arceus, Cass, if you don't shut up right now-"

"Mark, I won't have you talking like that," Spenser cut in, raising his voice the tiniest bit. Mark his trap pretty quickly, his face turning red. Spenser rarely raised his voice. When he did, it meant trouble. As opposed to Solana, who wasn't taken seriously all that much on her rants. Even Spenser agreed with the kids on that one. "Cass, please go find your sister and tell her that it's almost time for dinner."

Cass looked like she was going to say more, but thought better of it when she saw her father's expression. She walked out without another word, but Spenser could hear her whoop as she ran out the door. She never missed out on a chance to get her brother in trouble when he no doubt deserved it. Fighting again? And apparently with Justin. Again.

"Sit down," Spenser said curtly, nodding to the chair across the desk. Mark bit his lip, the anxiety showing in his face. He sat there, fiddling as he waited for his dad to speak.

"Why, Mark?"

Mark looked his father straight in the eye. "Look, Da, it was dumb, okay. I won't do it again. Promise."

"Mark Walker," Spenser said with a frown, "You've said that the last ten times this has happened. And as I remember, all of those were fights with Justin, as I recall. Why do you feel like you need to fight with the son of my best friend?" That best friend could only be one person.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Arceus, Da, you think I haven't been given this speech five thousand times? We just don't get along. I like Julia," he continued, naming Justin's twin. "And I like Luke. He and Cass hang out practically all the time. But Justin and I are never going to be best friends."

"I don't care if you're not best friends," Spenser answered, trying not to show that he was getting sick of this. If Mark wanted to have this conversation 50 million times, then Spenser was prepared to do it. "I just want you not to be enemies. Not to fight."

"Kay, Da."

"Don't just okay me, Mark. They're coming for Christmas dinner tomorrow. I don't want a peep from you two."

"Kay, Da."

"Say it."

"I won't fight with Justin tomorrow."

Spenser nodded approvingly, leaving that as that. Hopefully this would get through Mark's thick head someday. His middle child was the wild child of the family, for better or worse. For one, he had absolutely no tact. That was totally not Spenser. Not ever. Well, perhaps in Ranger School, he was a bit more reckless than he would've liked. Come to think of it, that had been the main reason he had clashed with Joel. Funny how irony caught up with you.

Mark glanced at him eagerly, obviously wanting to get the heck out of here. It was his Christmas break from Ranger School. Spenser didn't blame him. "Go back out, but it's almost time for dinner."

Mark nodded, that big grin back on his face. "Kay, Da. Thanks."

He was gone. The Ringtown leader sighed. He swore, they got faster and faster each day. He glanced down as he heard an incoming voicemail from his styler. He answered it, a wry smile on his face. Rangers had call ID.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"So… did you have the talk?"

"Yup. You?"

"Yup."

"Any response?"

"Nope."

"Yeah, none here either."

There was a pause of silence as the two best friends wondered what to say next. Spenser heard Joel clear his throat on the other side of the line, obviously at a loss. Sometimes there just were no words to accurately describe the situation. Ironic would be the best way to describe it, but Spenser decided not to bring up any bad feelings.

"So… I'll see you tomorrow?" Joel finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Christmas dinner, heck yeah."

"You cooking?"

"Is that a joke?" Spenser asked incredulously, reflecting upon Solana's cooking skills for a moment there. He'd better be the one cooking.

"Just making sure. Otherwise we'd all be sure to bring helmets. And a fire extinguisher."

"You better not let Solana hear that."

"Yeah, I'd be dodging flying toasters."

Spenser made an irritated noise, changing the subject. "Go bother Lucy."

"Kay. See ya later."

"Bye."

Spenser hung up, carefully considering the situation. In many ways, the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree. He caught a glance of Mark out the window of his office and shook his head, hiding a grin. So the legacy continues. Keep your enemies closer. But not too close. At some point, they could actually become your friends.


	6. Festival

When feeling particularly overwhelmed by the writing spirit, I pretty much ditched that homework thing and decided to write this. Probably due to the fact that I just finished the third Pokemon Ranger game in record time. I think I've got the whole drawing circles thing down. :P

Anyway, here's some Obliviashipping for ya. I don't know how many of you have played the new game, but I was particularly moved. It is an in-plot one-shot, so the situation happened in the game, but I add artistic flare to it. :P It's during the festival at Cocona Village, when they are celebrating how awesome you are. Yup. And my view of Summer and Ben is kind of… different. I'm not sure why I saw them this way, but… I did. Ok. Enjoy!

**Shippings: **Obliviashipping (Summer/Ben)

**Summary: **More happened at the Cocona Village festival than meets the eye… xp

* * *

**Festival**

"Summer, Ben, over here!"

"No, guys, come over here!"

"Pichu, pi!"

The sun was setting, yet the festival was just getting started. The Pichu of Dolce Island mixed with the residents of Cocona Village and the result was nothing short of electrifying. Between accepting the thanks of the people, listening to Nema plan her next invention, dodging dancing Pichu's, and sticking close to Ben, who was a total social butterfly, Summer, Hero of Oblivia, barely had time to breath. However, Ben could be helping a bit more than he was. He always said she was uptight. Was she uptight? No. Maybe a bit focused. That was the right word.

Ben sent a wry glance at his partner. "Alright, you take the elderly group over there, I got Ralph and his buddies."

"Why can't I take Ralph and company?" Summer muttered, frowning.

"Hey, sunshine, don't be a bad sport," Ben grinned. "We have saved the region from certain disaster. They just want to thank us, after all."

Summer unlinked arms with her partner, heading toward the group that had called her over. "I dislike when you call me sunshine."

"Hmmmm… yet, I keep doing it."

Summer shook her head before smiling and greeting the citizens of Cocona Village with warmth. He was insufferable. In every way. But, honestly, it wasn't his fault that she was being moody. Usually, she was the sweetest person around, hence Ben's nickname, but she didn't know why she felt antsy tonight. Something just didn't feel right.

After a few minutes talking loudly and nodding exaggeratingly (some hearing aides were malfunctioning, apparently), Summer realized how truly uncomfortable she was. She was never a party person in the first place and, while she enjoyed a part of the attention, she hated the way people were hanging on her every word. She didn't giving talking much thought.

"ATTACK!"

Suddenly, Summer found herself swarmed by little bodies, which were a combination of Ralph and his friend and cheerful Pichu's. "Oh, no, the great hero of Oblivia is being taken down by runts of all shapes. How will this affect the future of Oblivia?"

"BEN!"

Summer yelled it, but she was also half-laughing as Ukulele Pichu found its way on top of her head and started to play. Ralph was half-hanging off her back and the other Pichu were clinging onto her legs and arms. Her partner, meanwhile, was doing a running commentary amusedly.

"Sorry, ladies and gentlemen," he apologized to the elderly group Summer had been talking to. "I'm gonna have steal this lady for a moment. Or, the Midgets are."

"Ben! I said don't call us midgets!" Ralph yelled from my back, shaking a fist.

"Sorry, Ralph. My tongue slipped," Ben grinned, knowing Ralph wasn't going to believe that crap. "But you guys have a good tactic. And Runts R Us seem to be smothering the Hero to death, which is a long, slow, and, regretfully, painful death."

"Not if the Hero has anything to say about it," Summer answered with a grin. With an arm laden with a Pichu, she promptly set about finding Ralph's tickle spots. Somehow, she stayed standing even though he was writhing around on her back.

"Stop it! Haha- ok- haha- I GIVE!"

"And it's a good thing Summer, the Hero of Oblivia, has much smarter and tougher, yet underappreciated partner, Ben, the Second Hero of Oblivia!" Summer was still stuck with the Pichu as she looked up to see Ben get in on the action, making laser noises as he pretended to shoot the Pichu off.

"Pwee, pwee, pwee," he did a swoop by and the Pichu dropped off, playing dead. Ralph slipped off and his friends scattered as Ben swooped Summer up bridal-style and carried her free.

"Ben!"

"And the Hero of Oblivia must be rescued, once again, by her underappreciated partner," Ben grinned broadly, placing her back down and taking a bow. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week." The Pichu briefly swarmed them before darting off into the party and the boys laughed before running off to annoy someone else.

Summer dusted herself off and arranged her clothes. "Thanks for that. No offense, but I needed it."

"Summer, you just don't look like you're enjoying yourself," Ben explained, brushing back a piece of her hair casually. "So I'm taking it upon myself to ensure your most-deserved night of jubilee. We've worked hard for this, so get the stick out of your butt and have fun."

"I resent the comment about the stick up my butt."

"Duly noted."

"I'm a pretty sweet person, actually."

"I know you are, Sunshine."

"And I resent the nickname Sunshine."

"Again, duly noted."

Summer paused for a moment, and all in that pause, her fears about the validity of Oblivia's peace surfaced yet again. And, somehow, he could tell just by the look on her face. "Walk with me, Summer. Tell me what's wrong and then we'll both forget about it and go back to our party."

"No, Ben, I'm fine," Summer retorted, shaking her head resolutely. "I just want Oblivia to stay peaceful. But, really, we'll talk about it later."

He gave her a second look, but nodded. The mood stayed heavy for a moment, but then he brightened. "Hey, the music's gonna start up soon. Wanna dance?"

"Ben, we don't dance as much as look ridiculous, ya know what I mean?"

"That's true…" he looked thoughtful. "We are the Heroes of Oblivia. We haven't quite broken the reputation yet."

"Now's as good a time as ever." Summer grinned.

The underappreciated partner smiled back. "I like your thinking."

* * *

A few hours and many cups of punch later, Summer was feeling a little giddy from laughter. It was almost midnight, yet she couldn't imagine going to sleep right now. She and Ben had totally made themselves look ridiculous all night, but she didn't really care. They hadn't split since the midget attack and something different was in the air. She had forgotten all about that weird feeling she was having. And the fact that the punch must have been spiked with something got to her head a bit.

She and Ben left the dance floor hysterically laughing. She never remembered laughing so much in her life. She pulled him back a little from the celebration to catch a breather and the two of them stood against one of the nearby houses, breathing heavily.

"Ben, I swear, the second Murph started dancing…" Summer trailed off, laughing so hard.

"I actually think he was worse than us," Ben answered with a broad grin, looking toward the festival. The light from a nearby torch flickered across his face and Summer reflected on how much the night hid. There was a whole different set of rules in the dark, it seemed.

There was a moment of silence as they both sighed, allowing their breathing to go back to normal. Too much had been said and, still, it wasn't enough to fill up what Summer didn't want to say. She felt more than just friendship. In this moment, at the time, she wanted nothing more than to pin him against the wall of the house and kiss the crap out of him. And it scared her. She didn't want a relationship. Not now, when her career was flourishing and she was so busy. It would only serve as a distraction from her focus. Still, she wanted him and she almost couldn't trust herself around him right now.

That punch definitely had something in it.

"Wanna go back?"

"Yeah."

They went back and the music got louder. It pounded a beat into the ground, into Summer's head, and she wanted to set herself free. For once, she just wanted to blow off steam and get it out there. She and Ben were dancing again, but this time, it was different. She wasn't laughing. His hands clumsily brushed against her hips, sending shivers down her spine. She was too close.

She took his hand, in uncharacteristic boldness. He followed.

During the prisoner exchange with Red Eyes and Blue Eyes, something had happened that neither one of them wanted to talk about. And now, yet again, Summer was about to open up a whole new can of worms. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, but it was one of those things that she would later claim "seemed like a good idea at the time". Summer Minami was not an irrational person. Ben Natsuya made her irrational.

She pulled him behind a tree. "Summer, I just want to say-"

The pull was too much. His back against the tree, their mouths crashed together as she took the train head on. It was her hands in his hair and his on her hips and little space between them. Summer pulled back slightly as her breath hitched. There was no putting in to words what she felt right now. Only that she didn't want words right now.

Centimeters apart, Ben grinned. "I guess you've gotten rid of that stick."

He pulled her in again and she could barely catch her breath. She was losing any rational thought to this boy and, at the moment, couldn't care less. It was wrong for her to do it this way, hiding and skulking around under the cover of darkness, because she knew that when she woke up in the morning, neither of them would bring it up and it would be buried. She didn't want to know the repercussions and he was too scared because he knew that she didn't. It was denial in its most intense form.

"Summer! Ben! Where are you guys?"

As Ralph came running past the tree, they jumped apart, each staring vacantly out into space. He looked at them stupidly. "Hey. What are you guys doing behind a tree?"

"Er, nothing," Ben answered casually, yet failing. "Right, Summer?"

"Um, yeah, nothing," Summer replied, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You needed us?"

Ralph was still giving them a strange look. "Yeah, this way. It's another part of the ceremony."

"Oh, good."

"Yeah, that's great."

Ralph shook his head. "You guys are strange."

Ben gave Summer a wink as Ralph turned to lead them back toward the festival. "You have no idea."

* * *

**So, yeah, a little different. Ben is a goofball and Summer is scared of having a relationship. Feedback?**


	7. Games

Okay, so this next one-shot is Jack Walker and Danielle. For those of you who don't know, Danielle is my OC character who's dating Jackie. She gets pissed at him a lot for leaving cause he's always on missions and whatnot, but she always ends up forgiving him in the end. :) Darn, all the stuff I write about them seems kind of serious though. This was originally intended to be much lighter, but it kinda went… serious. I don't really know if it works because I'm used to writing witty banter and all (yeah, if you could call it that xp), so let me know in your feedback. Okey dokey. Enjoy!

**Shipping: **Jackie/Danielle (and others talked about)

**Summary: **Jackie and Danielle hit a… er, rather large rough patch. The five-month long kind of rough patch. xp

* * *

**Games**

Even if you gave me as many words as I needed and all the time in the world, I could not even begin to explain to you all that is Jack Walker.

Bur, if I had to, I would say this.

His life, from now until eternity, consists of games that he plays. Everything, regardless of its level of importance, is a game to him. That's pretty much the only way I can sum it up. Jack Walker is a player, regardless if he means to be or not, but it's the way he gets through life.

It started innocently enough. He was going away again. I was upset, but I always got upset and that's how he knew that I still cared. He needed to know that I needed him, and although I frequently denied it, I did. It was ironic that the one ranger that was seen the least by his closest friends was the one I chose to date. Date would be a under exaggeration. More like the one I chose to fall in love with. If love could ever really choose.

Before he left, he ran his thumb against my jaw, looking me straight in the eyes with those green eyes of his, and almost froze me in my spot. "D, I just wanna make sure you know that I love you."

I couldn't say anything. He was killing me with this. Every time he told me this and went away, a little part of me died until he came back. At times, I hated that I cared about him so much. "I know, Jack," I nodded, unable to look away. I was trying to make this less than it was. It would only be a few days. That's all it ever was.

"And I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally."

I nodded again, my mind too preoccupied to comprehend what I was saying. Because if I had thought about it long enough, I would've recognized that pre-emptive apology when I saw it. I would've seen that he was about to do something that was going to hurt me intentionally. I was stupid and trusting in what he was saying even though I knew that I shouldn't. Because then he kissed me and it all went away, the bad feelings and the anxiety. All of it. Because it was familiar, comfortable. It was knowing that things were going to be okay because Jack Walker had a plan for everything. It was the unquestioning, abiding faith that he would be back because he loved me, even though he only said it when he needed too, and not even all the time then. Because I realized after he left that this time was different.

He was gone for five months.

I went mental. For five months, I interrogated the crap out of anyone I could find that might possibly have seen him or heard from him. For five months, Chairperson Erma practically had to put a restraining order on me because I was harassing her so much. For five months, I was left wondering whether he was alive, whether he would be alive the next day, or whether he was coming home at all. Erma could tell me if he was alive at the moment, but that was it. Jackie was a professional. He had to do his job.

Finally, Christmas came. It felt hollow. I was losing my mind, slowly but surely, and feeling a piece of me die every time I thought about family. If he had asked me to marry him before he left, I would've said yes. I would've.

It was two days after Christmas and snowing when he finally decided to show up. I had just gotten back from the last patrol of the night and was brushing the snow off my jacket, shivering. I had let all my base members go home for the holiday season (they were getting back tomorrow morning) and it was just me and the base.

He just walked right in the door. Moseyed on in like nothing had changed and everything was hunky-dory. Like it was rainbows and Butterfree and all that was needed was a simple sorry to make things go back to the way they were. He was holding a bouquet of flowers and a somber expression, but that didn't make up for anything.

"Hey D," he finally said with a faint grin, gesturing with the flowers. They were sunflowers, my favorite, and I have no idea how he even was able to find them. Sunflowers weren't too common this time of year.

There was a cold moment of silence in which I eyed him icily, too angry to even know what to feel. I wanted him to at least be hurt or have some kind of excuse, but I knew I wasn't going to get anything. It was his work. He didn't have to explain. And so, in the absence of any physical wounds, I wanted to either inflict some or hurt him some other way. Any way, I didn't care. I just wanted him to hurt.

"D?" He asked questioningly. "Can you at least say something? I mean, I knew you'd be mad, but…"

"But, what, Jack?" I replied, without emotion. I used to do what he did. I can hold a cover, even though it's the biggest lie I'd ever fabricated. If only I could remove emotion from our relationship. If only I could tell him that I couldn't do this and we were done. "You think you can come here and say sorry and things will be fixed. Oh, but, then again, you brought flowers, so I guess it's okay."

"Danielle-"

"Don't even talk, Jack, because I know what you do. You play games. Your job, that's just a game to you. Beat the bad guys and come home to the girl. And me? I'm another game. It's called Keep the Girl." I kept my distance from him or else he would see that I was blinking rapidly to keep the tears from coming. "And you pull me back and forth like a yo-yo. One second, I can't imagine being apart from you and the next, I can't bear being with you. But you always keep me coming back. And I feel like an idiot every single time because I know it's never going to change."

He didn't say anything, just stood there and looked stupid with his stupid flowers.

I was losing it. "And remember Luke, Lucy and Joel's son? He's getting so much bigger. And Solana had her baby while you were gone: a little baby girl. They named her Cassandra Joel," My words poured out like the biblical flood of old and half the time I had no idea what I was even saying, but, then again, that was much like my tears. Why was I crying? The more I tried to stop, the more they came, and I was on the edge of that cliff, doing anything to distract myself from looking down, else I'd lose myself. "And Cameron's daughter had a Christmas play, we all went to it and had to hide our laughter because she wanted us to take her seriously. Kate and Keith are getting married; did you know that, Jackie? Did you know any of this?"

"No, Danielle. First thing I did, I came here," he said gently, his words quiet as if I were a wild animal to be calmed. Honestly, I wasn't sure how far off that comparison was.

"No, because you must have gotten your goddamn flowers first, you jackass," I shot back, my world coming to an edge. For the first time ever, he shrank back from me and I hated him for it. Why wasn't he arguing? This wasn't an argument. This was me kicking his ass and I wasn't feeling guilty for it at all. Why wasn't he fighting? Like a magnet, I was drawn closer and closer to him. Like that Arceus-forsaken yoyo, I was coming back. "And then you just walked in the door. Just like that. Right in the door. Right in the door." I kept repeating that, like it mattered. Like it mattered whether he came in through the door or the window or the goddamn chimney. He was here.

I returned to him, like a bird to its nest, and he did what he was supposed to do. The flowers fell to the ground, forgotten, as he ran a hand over my hair and held me, whispering quiet nothings in my ear. None of it mattered. Nothing he said mattered. He was here.

Jack Walker is a player in a game of his own. And I'm the goddamn idiot that keeps playing it.


	8. Heart to Heart

'Ello, everyone. It's been a while, but here I am. Here's a one-shot concerning Aria (cause I had to delve into her character eventually and I've been rather avoiding it). I guess I didn't know what to do with her character before, but I've got a better idea now and I'm gonna start writing more about her. And… yeah. This is really just a humorous one-shot, not some deep exploration of her character so don't expect much, but I'll be getting there!

Okay, cool. Enough of me talking!

**Shipping: **Lunick/Aria, implied Spenser/Solana

**Summary: **Aria's attempt at a sharing her feelings doesn't quite work out… And Lunick's just perpetually clueless.

**Disclaimer: **I can't remember if I ever did this, but I don't feel like checking. I don't own Pokemon Ranger or its characters and that's it. Yay!

* * *

**Heart-to-Heart**

The Fall City Ranger Base was never quite as attentive as it was now.

Aria, the stuck-up, hard-ass ranger of Fall City, cleared her throat as she stood before the masses. "I called you all here to make a brief clarification." She paused for a moment, then looked directly at a teal-haired ranger who was listening with a slight smirk on her face. "Why is she here?"

Joel shot a glance at Solana nonchalantly. "Oh, Solana? She's just staying for a little while to rest after the mission she helped us out on. Proceed."

The long-haired blonde frowned, looking out on the rangers she worked with everyday (albeit reluctantly), and surveyed them: Joel, the leader she knew so well (and frequently rebelled against); Solana, the rival she so fiercely hated (yet, secretly admired); Keith and Lind, who were never mentioned not in a pair (and rightfully so because they never did anything separate); and Melody, the new addition to the base (as well as the mouthy little girl who wasn't afraid of anything, least of all Aria).

"I am not a bitch."

Mouths hung slack at that statement. The only one to speak was Joel, who seemed to have picked up a little too much sarcasm lately. "Well, that's good to know," he commented wryly.

Aria continued, eyes passing over all her fellow rangers. "I know a few of you may be scared of me, but I want you to know that I have changed. I am not a bitch and you don't need to be scared of me."

Melody raised her hand.

There was a sigh from the older ranger. "Yes, Melody."

"What if we never really saw you as frightening?" She asked innocently in that cute, little girl voice of hers.

Aria growled while everyone else shot Melody a look that asked if she really had to make that comment. "Well, squirt, you should then."

"Well, Aria, you have improved a lot in listening to others' opinions," Joel commented off-handedly, meaning to compliment her. "I'd say you've made great strides."

Aria narrowed her eyes, trying to decide what to do. This was going all wrong.

"Yeah, Aria," Solana was obviously trying not to laugh. "You're pretty much an angel now."

Lind shot a terrified look at Solana's mocking tone. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Nah," the teal-haired ranger shrugged. "She may try her very best to be a bitch, but she wouldn't kill me. I mean, not in her right mind. Then again, she does go a little crazy sometimes."

"I don't know, she could very possibly kill you," Keith said, dead seriously.

"Please, I could take her."

"I love how we're talking about Aria like she's not here," Joel remarked.

"I'd just like to say that I never thought that Aria was… you know, what she said," Melody explained, brushing back a strand of hair. "I mean, she's really nice to me. She even makes me PB and J sandwiches for lunch sometimes."

"Aw," Solana commented, thoroughly enjoying herself. "A domesticated Aria."

By now, Aria's face was bright red. Her first clenched tighter and tighter and tighter and she knew she was going to punch someone, she just couldn't choose who because they were all equally obnoxious (freakin' all of them) and she thought she just could take it anymore when-

"Hey, guys," Lunick walked in to the base casually, hands in his pockets. Then he stopped in his tracks. "Er, what's going on?"

Aria wasn't quite sure what the reason for her backing down was (probably because there were so many of them that she could choose which one to punch and not because of the person who had just entered), but she resisted the urge to be violent. Instead, she narrowed her eyes angrily and yelled.

"FINE! I'M BACK TO BEING A BITCH!"

And then stalked angrily away.

Lunick shot a quizzical look at Joel, who shrugged.

"Thank God," Solana muttered. "All that talk was starting to scare the crap out of me. It was like she was trying to reject who she was."

Keith and Lind simultaneously shuddered. "Yeah."

Joel sighed. "At least things are back to normal."

Lunick's face was still extremely confused. "Well, okay, no idea what just happened, but… Solana, Spenser wants you-"

"Yeah he does," Joel muttered under his breath, ignoring the glare Solana sent his way.

"So you have to come back to the base," Lunick finished, looking appalled at Joel's statement, as if the thought of Solana and his leader getting it on freaked him out (which it did). "And I'll take care of any remaining duties from your last mission."

"Okay, well, you're in luck, my navy-haired little friend," Solana pat him on the back and Lunick seriously distrusted her tone of voice. "You'll need a partner for this one."

She shot a meaningful look at Joel (one that Lunick equally distrusted) and Joel nodded in response. "Yup," the bespectacled ranger leader announced, "I'm assigning Aria with you for this one."

Solana grinned. "Go get 'em, tiger."

Lunick walked toward where Aria had disappeared to, looking extremely confused.

"Do you think he's got any idea what we're trying to do here?" Joel asked.

"Nah," Solana responded. "He's got no clue."


	9. Impressions

Next is a bit on Spenser and Solana when they first met and then reflecting on this moment. Has both Spenser and Solana's thoughts. WARNING: Cheesiest thing I've ever written, but I couldn't help it. I don't know what's with all this fluff lately. I have no stomach for angst right now. Xp

**Shipping: **Total Spenser/Solana (RingShipping, as I like to call it)

**Summary: **"At first look, he wasn't much." Spenser and Solana when they first met and then reflecting on this moment.

* * *

**Impressions**

For what must be the tenth time, the teal-haired ranger-to-be straightened her new uniform, her body language clearly showing that she was nervous. Maybe it was the way she paced back and forth, her legs stiff, or the way she kept continually scratching the back of her neck and brushing back her hair. It had been fourteen letters, back and forth with this guy, and now she was finally meeting him. This was her job interview, but it was more than that. It was a whole new life. She adjusted one of the buttons on her uniform.

"Fall City!"

She half-jumped, glancing up as she realized she was already there. Ignoring the paper-dry feeling of her mouth (Arceus, it felt like a desert), she hopped down the stairs, trying to be her peppy self. The sounds of the port threatened to overtake her as she gained her bearings. _Get it together, rookie, _she half-threatened herself. _And at least pretend you know what you're doing. _She was good at that. How else had she even gotten this opportunity in the first place? She was a people person, but only to an extent.

Walking with purpose (any other way and she probably would lose her nerve), she made her way out of the port, toward the city. She had to let go of where she came from if she wanted to succeed here. It was all up to her. A tumultuous childhood and no real home to go back to weren't going to affect her here.

There was a near miss with a Plusle as she stopped for an over-excited boy. Her mind was on over-drive and she could feel the adrenaline kicking in, but it was relieving when it turned out just to be the small mouse Pokemon. It's not like she could take care of anything major right now. That was when she practically walked into him.

At first look, he wasn't much. Maybe four or five years older than her sixteen; a young leader, but of course, she had already known that. Messy, blue-green hair that was a bit too long and an open, friendly face. Hands were slumped comfortably in his pockets as if he was used to ease in getting through life. He was a few inches taller than her, although not by much, and more built. His broad shoulders and a stance of quiet confidence made her self-conscious, but she fought it, lifting her chin, locking her jaw, and looking him straight in the eye. Nothing beat first impressions.

"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting," he flashed a grin, which made her feel a bit more at ease. "You're the letter-writer, right?"

She nodded, her throat unable to force out any words even though she wanted to. He walked back and forth in front of her for a moment, appraising her. She kept her jaw locked and eyes ahead, refusing to back down. "The uniform I sent you… It's a little on the big side? Well, I guess it's not that big a concern."

"Nope," there was a flicker of a smile across her face as she met his eyes briefly. He was slightly intimidating, she had to admit, but he was trying to be personable. She had a feeling that he was kind of just saying what came to his mind first, in his uncertainty. Really? Her uniform a bit big?

"Well, anyway, I'm Spenser Hayate. Ringtown's Ranger Leader," he offered his hand this time and she took it, her nerves soothed a bit. "It's good to see you finally. I really enjoyed exchanging letters with you. It brought back memories of the burning ambition I had when I was working on becoming a Ranger. Thanks for that."

She met his eyes and, even though he was appraising her, she could catch the proud glint in his eye. She was _his _new prospective ranger, the one that _he _plucked out of nowhere to take under his wing and train. She had researched this Ringtown Ranger Leader and he was the best of the best, someone who, if he had wanted it, could've been whatever position he wanted to within the Ranger Union, even a Top Ranger. She was his and she couldn't imagine wanting it any other way. Now she just had to take the best of this.

"No problem," she answered with a broad grin this time. "Solana, as you may remember. I'm really excited to get started."

She followed him to a whole new world. In a way, he was her door to that world, one that she could be happy in. She was such a hopeless idealist in some ways, looking for the good where there was none, and hiding it with cynicism and a wry grin.

She was lost, looking for a home, and here this leader was, ready to offer one to her. The greatest gift she could get from this experience wasn't the fame she could gain (because the job of a Ranger is full of _so _much glory) or the people she could help (that was her gift to them), but the sense of belonging and family that she could finally achieve. What she never guessed was that this was the very same reason a twelve-year-old Spenser Hayate, somewhere back in the years of time, had applied for Ranger School.

_Years later- seven to be exact- she finally learned the truth of the method to Spenser's madness._

_They were leaving Ringtown Ranger base for the last time, saying goodbye to all those memories of the family they had stitched together- a group of people that would never have come together if it wasn't for the job. Lunick was taking over as base leader and Melody as his right hand ranger, but, strangely, while it felt sad to leave, it seemed like that was the right move._

_Now it was time for their own family. It hadn't been easy, getting to this point (nothing was easy with Spenser's inability to listen and follow directions, a fault that drove Solana crazy), but they were finally having their happy ending- they were getting married next month. Solana never thought she'd see the day when she'd find a guy more important than her career as a ranger (she had solemnly swore several times throughout her career that she'd never get married), but she supposed things had changed. From here on, it was a quiet home in Chicole Village (Alyssa's hometown, as she liked to point out) and a teaching job at the Ranger School for Spenser. Solana was going to try her hand at stay-at-home mom, although she suspected that she'd be spending plenty of time either at the Ranger School helping Spenser teach or at the closest Ranger base. _

_They were taking a break from packing and Solana was laying out on the floor, feigning exhaustion. Spenser sat down next to her, grinning._

_"We've come a long way since that first letter you sent me, huh?" He commented, leaning over to brush her hair aside absentmindedly. _

_She sat up, leaning against him in that habit of hers, even reaching out her hand to tickle him in the side briefly. "You could say that. Especially considering that we had a totally platonic teacher-student thing going on at first."_

_"Yeah, and then you stopped being the student," Spenser scowled, realizing that such a topic was still a sore spot. "And started surpassing me. You even beat my Capture Arena score. Ungrateful little-"_

_Solana grinned, not forgetting how competitive he was. "Language, Spense. We talked about this."_

_He smiled after that, remembering another memory. "When you first came, you were stunned at my swearing."_

_"Yup," Solana laughed, "And all that happened was that I started swearing too."_

_"And when you scared us all by organizing the entire pantry?"_

_"I'm a little OCD sometimes," she muttered in reply. "Besides, you're the one who kept leaving dirty laundry everywhere too. The whole place was a mess."_

_"And I made a woman joke about you cleaning it up that had you steaming mad."_

_"You have to remember that I was new," Solana scowled. "I didn't like the idea that the leader I looked up to so much was sexist."_

_"It was just a joke," the leader responded, throwing his hands up in self-defense as Solana glared at him. _

_"Hm. Great first impression, huh?"_

_That thought had him thinking. He'd never told her what had drawn him to her, why he'd chosen her to take under his wing and train. _

"_You wanna know my very first impression of you, 'Lana?" He asked lazily, the melancholy feeling at leaving the base making him feel a bit more serious. "The very first thing?"_

"_Besides 'your uniform is too goddamn big and I feel an intense need to mention it'," the teal-haired ranger cracked, grinning at him. "Not exactly the biggest self-esteem booster."_

_He rolled his eyes. "Oh, 'Lana, I'll never hear the end of that. You bring it up every single time."_

"_Well," she insisted, "It was kind of a dick thing to say. I mean, I was new and unsure and the first thing you said to me was that?"_

"_Do you wanna hear this or what?"_

_Fine, tell your story," she motioned for him to go ahead._

"_You reminded me of things I'd forgotten, Solana. That's why I instantly liked you."_

"_That and my cute face," she teased, interrupting him yet again. "Okay, fine. Go on. You've piqued my interest."_

"_I'm trying to be serious here, you know," the blue-green-haired leader explained wryly._

"_Okay," she answered as she stopped grinning. "Serious face. Got it." _

_"You took a job that not a lot of people find glory in and made it glorious," he paused, running a hand through his hair as if trying to find the words. "Your letters, Solana. They just brought back so many memories of what I used to believe."_

_"Yeah?" She asked softly, realizing that this was something that she wanted to hear. She was taking a breath, watching his profile, waiting for what it is that he really wanted to say._

_"I realized that you were just like me, Solana," replied the leader, ever characterized that way. "You reminded me of myself."_

_She smiled briefly, feeling that swell of pride and love and just pure happiness that she felt around him. It was stupid to think and say, but she knew that this was love. This feeling of just being around him was love. _

_For all his words though (the words he said he wasn't very good with), he still could only look at his hands and not her eyes. _"_You were running from what you didn't want, not knowing where you were going, but knowing it had to be better. And you were willing to do what it took to find that something, even if it meant throwing yourself completely into what you loved."_

_The loud-mouthed idealist was quiet for a moment, reflecting on what he had said. "But you forgot something." Spenser looked over questioningly, his eyes finally meeting hers, eyebrows drawn. She smiled softly, interlacing her fingers with his. "I found what I was looking for. Just like you."_

_He smiled as well, wrapping an arm around the girl that had found him. All this time, everyone had thought it had been him to find this newest Ranger prodigy, the saver of worlds and protector of the small. But it was all a lie. She had chosen him to get the credit. She had chosen him to share her success with. _

_But none of that mattered anymore now, anyway. The Rangers were only one chapter of his life, not who he was. He was finally starting to realize that. The next chapter of his life was her and he was perfectly fine with that. _

_"Yeah, well, that's a story for another time."_

* * *

If it's not your kind of thing, I don't blame you. I'd probably barf a little bit if I was reading it as a neutral third party. :P I started it trying to illustrate the similarities between Spenser and Solana (in the fact that they both joined the rangers almost to run from their situation and find a family), and then it turned into this. I know I was a bit ambiguous as to Spenser situation in this, but I'm going to write another one-shots on his family background, so… Yeah.

Okay, I'm done now. And I know it's been a LONG while since I updated my longer story, but I'm stuck. I'll admit it. Xp I know where I want to go with it eventually, but in my current position, I got nothing. If you've got any ideas how I should start the next chapter or if you're interested in helping me out, message me or such.

I can admit to being stuck, despite the hit to my pride… After however many months it's been that I've written nothing. xp

Okay, thanks guys!


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